The Emmet County Sheriff’s Office has received a large amount of calls from citizens regarding the IRS scam calls. According to Sheriff Wallin, his office normally handles several of these calls per week, however today he reports receiving calls from approximately 40 Emmet County residents. Sheriff Wallin urges all citizens to be aware of the scam telephone calls and not give out personal identification information. The below information was taken from a consumer alert issued by Attorney General’s Office.
Anybody contacting you claiming to be from the IRS and asking you for personal identifying information is a crook. Every year the IRS issues warnings about rebate or other scams being perpetrated by con artists claiming to work for the agency. Here is a list of things the IRS will NEVER do:
- Call you and demand immediate payment
- Demand payment without any chance to appeal or question the amount due
- Threaten to have you arrested
- Require a specific payment method, like a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer
- Ask for your bank account number
- IRS WILL NEVER ASK FOR TAXPAYERS’ PERSONAL INFORMATION BY PHONE OR IN EMAILS
Authority Sheriff Peter A. Wallin
